SparkNotes: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Character List The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe C. S. Lewis Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Aslan - The king and god of Narnia. The noble lion sacrifices his life so that the Witch will spare Edmund. After being resurrected the next morning, Aslan rises and defeats the White Witch once and for all. In the context of the book's Christian allegory, Aslan represents Christ. Read an in-depth analysis of Aslan. The White Witch - This evil queen of Narnia places a spell on the land so that it is winter and never Christmas. The Witch is the "Emperor's hangman," as Mr. Beaver says, and she has the right to kill any Narnian traitor. She wields a wand that turns creatures and people to stone. The wand also produces the Turkish Delight that enslaves Edmund and makes him greedy. The Witch kills Aslan, and it is only after he rises from the dead that he defeats her. Like any malicious character, the Witch, an embodiment of evil, could represent Satan, or she may be a servant of Satan.

"She calls herself the Queen of Narnia thought she has no right to be queen at all, and all the Fauns and Dryands and Naiads and Dwarfs and Animals—at least all the good ones—simply hate her." Read an in-depth analysis of The White Witch. Peter Pevensie - Peter is the oldest of the Pevensie children, and he is noble and courageous. He matures into a young man during his first few days in Narnia. He immediately proves himself after protecting Susan from a ferocious wolf. Aslan knights him, and eventually crowns him the High King of Narnia. During his reign he is known as King Peter the Magnificent. Susan Pevensie - The second oldest of the Pevensie children, Susan is the beauty among the Pevensies. She is sweet and kind, and perhaps a little bland. Santa Claus gives her a horn to blow if she ever finds herself in a dangerous situation. When she becomes queen at Cair Paravel, she is known as Queen Susan the Gentle. Edmund Pevensie - The third oldest Pevensie child, Edmund is a brat for most of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Edmund is spiteful and mean, and likes to tease his sister, Lucy. His greed for the enchanted Turkish Delight leads him to act as a traitor against his siblings. Edmund joins forces with the White Witch, but eventually sees the error of his ways and returns to the good side. Lucy Pevensie - The youngest Pevensie is cheerful, kind, and brave. This curious, happy-go-lucky girl is the first of the children to venture into Narnia. Later, she urges her siblings to search for her friend, Tumnus, when they find that the faun's home is ransacked. In the beginning, she is the protagonist, although Aslan fills that role later in the novel. We view much of the action through her optimistic eyes, as a foil to the skeptical eyes as Edmund. Santa Claus gives Lucy a cordial, which she uses to heal the wounded following the battle with the Witch's troops. She is known as Queen Lucy the Valiant. Tumnus - Lucy meets Tumnus, a faun, on her first excursion into Narnia. He initially intends to kidnap her and bring her to the White Witch.

Tumnus does not go through with it, and he spares her life. For his crime, the Witch ransacks his home and petrifies him. Later, Aslan rescues Tumnus from the spell. Kind, sensitive, and caring, Tumnus and Lucy become fast friends once it is settled that he is not going capture her. He also makes a mean cup of tea. Professor Kirke - Professor Kirke is a slightly eccentric, elderly professor. He takes care of the Pevensie children so they can escape the air raids in London during World War II. Wise and open-minded, he helps Peter and Susan understand that Narnia may indeed exist. Mr. Beaver - Mr. Beaver is Tumnus's friend, and he aids the Pevensie children in the search for the petrified faun. Mr. Beaver introduces the Pevensies to Santa Claus and ultimately brings them to the Stone Table and Aslan Mrs. Beaver - She is Mr. Beaver's wife. Mrs. Beaver is kindly, good-natured, motherly, and a good cook.

Dwarf - The dwarf is one of the Witch's evil henchman and is her right-hand man. Maugrim - Maugrim is a wolf and the chief of the Witch's Secret Police. Peter murders the evil wolf after Maugrim chases Susan up a tree. Father Christmas - Father Christmas is also known as Santa Claus and he makes a cameo appearance in the land of Narnia. He explains that Christmas has arrived in Narnia and as a gift, gives special tools to each of children. Emperor-over-the-Sea - We never meet him, but he is Aslan's father and the ultimate God of Narnia. He is the Father, while Aslan is the Son, in the Christian trinity. There does not seem to be a clear Holy Spirit in Narnia. More Help The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Quotes by C.S. Lewis Like “I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C. S. Lewis.” Like “Once a King in Narnia, always a King in Narnia. But don't go trying to use the same route twice. Indeed, don't try to get there at all. It'll happen when you're not looking for it. And don't talk too much about it even among yourselves. And don't mention it to anyone else unless you find that they've had adventures of the same sort themselves. What's that? How will you know? Oh, you'll know all right. Odd things, they say-even their looks-will let the secret out. Keep your eyes open. Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools." -The Professor” Like “None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different.

Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning--either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in it's inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of Summer.” Like “And Peter became a tall and deep-chested man and a great warrior, and he was called King Peter the Magnificent. And Susan grew into a tall and gracious woman with black hair that fell almost to her feet and the kings of the countries beyond the sea began to send ambassadors asking for her hand in marriage. And she was called Queen Susan the Gentle.

Edmund was a graver and quieter man than Peter, and great in council and judgment. he was called King Edmund the Just. But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired, and all princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen, and her own people called her Queen Lucy the Valiant.” ALLEGORY IN C. S. LEWISï¿½THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE: v 196-94 Institute for Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA Why would a Christian college student be reading fairy tales for homework?ï¿½ Or better yet, why would a Christian English teacher be using fairy tales in a college class on Biblical Literature?ï¿½ The answer might be found when a teacher chooses to introduce a particular book of the Bible with literature that is about the Bible.ï¿½ The gospel of John and one of C.S. Lewis' Narnian Chronicles, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, work well to illustrate the union of fairy tale with Biblical truths.

When focusing on the literary aspects used in the gospel of John, a teacher would naturally desire to include a study of poetry as used in John 1, allegory as found in the parables, description as utilized in the parables, dialogue, and thematic organization (Resseguie 295; Kermode 448-53). But when focusing on the introduction of the gospel of John to students, the teacher might want to consider allegory, especially the allegory found in C.S. Lewis' fictional works.ï¿½ Lewis' Narnian Chronicles, and in particular the first of the series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, "are an important addition not only to the library of children's literature, but also to the rare realm of Christian myth and symbolism.ï¿½ They can be profitably read by adults and will be reread by children after they become adults" (Cunnigham 155).

Many students have already read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in their childhood years and if they have not, they will be treated to a book full of the medieval imagery of kings, queens and themes of good versus evil.ï¿½ Combined with the medieval images are the fairy tale elements of talking beasts, witches, fauns, giants and dwarfs.ï¿½ All is written in Christian symbolism and allegory: perfect devices for gaining students' attention and introducing, or opening a window, to John's gospel. Why This Story? C. S. Lewis believed that "a children's story is the best art-form for something you have to say" (Lewis, On Stories 32). So he took a fairy-tale image from his childhood, a faun carrying an umbrella, inserted a lion about which he had been having dreams (53) and began a delightful children's story that ended up as Christian allegory only because the Christian "element pushed itself in of its own accord" (46).

Children's narrative, in the form of the fairy tale, is simple and straightforward.ï¿½ Lewis liked the fairy tale form because it excluded a love interest and close psychology, And the moment I [Lewis] thought of that [the Fairy Tale] I fell in love with the Form itself: its brevity, its severe restraints on description, its flexible traditionalism, its inflexible hostility to all analysis, digression, reflections, and 'gas'.ï¿½ I was now enamored of it.ï¿½ Its very limitations of vocabulary became an attraction; as the hardness of the stone pleases the sculptor or the difficulty of the sonnet delights the sonneteer.(46-47) Lewis used the fairy-tale form to "steal past those watchful dragons" (47) of difficult theology that he felt froze the feelings of the individual towards the simplicity of the story of salvation.ï¿½ Therefore he was writing for children "only in the sense that I [Lewis] excluded what I thought they would not like or understand; not in the sense of writing what I intended to be below adult attention" (47).ï¿½ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is basically the gospel story,

 written simply, for all (children and adults) to read and enjoy.

One finds a freshness, a serious delightfulness, in opening a section of God's book with Lewis' work.ï¿½ This book can help "steal past those watchful dragons" guarding students who have heard the salvation story many times and would therefore be inclined to tune out "one more time," while still appealing to students not raised in a Christian institutional system. Who is C. S. Lewis? Lewis has been a major contributor and well-loved Christian author for both hs non-fictional and fictional writings.ï¿½ His non-fictional books contain such well-known titles as Mere Christianity and A Grief Observed.ï¿½ The former was originally broadcast as three radio talks during World War II and is so packed with moral pondering that Christians world wide have kept it foremost on their bookshelves.ï¿½ The latter book was written after the death of his beloved wife, Joy, and has provided much comfort and insight to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.ï¿½ Lewis addressed major spiritual issues in his many non-fictional works, but he also addressed many of these same issues in his fiction.

Besides the Narnian Chronicles mentioned in this paper, one of Lewis' most popular fictional works is Screwtape Letters, a small book filled with ironic letters of a senior devil's communication and advice to a junior devil who is trying to devise ways of tempting humankind.ï¿½ Lewis seemed to enjoy the art of bringing out profound biblical truths in different genes. Perhaps Lewis' delightful sense of humor and wit found in both his fiction and non-fiction is inherited from his Irish upbringing.ï¿½ Clive Stapes Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898.ï¿½ He was then sent to England for much of his schooling, including his university years at Oxford.ï¿½ Most of his adult years were lived in Oxford where he eventually was promoted to professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature.ï¿½ He died on November 22, 1963. Lewis lost his Christian faith early in life and remained a proclaimed atheist until his early thirties.ï¿½ Religious discussions with his good friend and popular fellow author, J. R. R. Tolkien, prompted Lewis' conversion to Christianity.ï¿½ After his conversion, Lewis authored almost a book every year and sometimes more, all religious oriented.

He enjoyed Christian fellowship and shared many of his works in progress with The Inklings, a group of writers consisting of Lewis, Tolkien, Owen Barfield, Hugo Dyson and Charles Williams (Christopher 6). Lewis' book range in genre from fairy tales to science fantasy to Christian apology and have touched lives in almost every aspect of the Christian walk.ï¿½ A teacher can provide an audience for this well-loved and thought-provoking literature by using Lewis' fairy tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in a Biblical Literature class.ï¿½ This is one way of letting Lewis use his craft to retell an old story relevant to youth today.ï¿½ In the classroom, his story can lead students from an enchanted world to its allegorical counterpart in the Bible providing new insight and relevance for living a Christian life today.

The Narrative The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe begins taking shape during WW II when the four Pevensie children, Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy, are sent to the counstryside from London to live in a large house with an old professor and his housekeeper (the story must have been reminiscent to Lewis of when he also took London children into his country home during WW II). One day, while the Pevensie children are playing, Lucy finds an entrance intothe land of Narnia through an old wardrobe. She meets a faun, Mr. Tumnus, and over tea he tells her about the White Witch's spell on Narnia.ï¿½ The White Witch destroyed many of the good animals of Narnia and enlisted all the bad ones on her side.ï¿½ She made the land to be in a perpetual state of winter (yet never Christmas) and does her best to root out the remnant of good animals left in the land.ï¿½ The faun knows she will especially interested in Lucy and her siblings since there is a prophecy predicting the witch's death if four children should sit on the thrones of Cair Paravel, the capital of Narnia.

Edmund is the next of the children to find his way into Narnia through the wardrobe.ï¿½ His first contact with the inhabitants is the beautiful but bloodless.ï¿½ White Witch (similar to Snow White's witch) who feeds him Turkish Delight and convinces him he will become king of Narnia if he should only bring his siblings to her.ï¿½ With promises of more Turkish Delight swirling in his head, Edmund heads back home.ï¿½ Interestingly enough, no matter how much time the children spend in Narnia, not a minute passes in their homeland. All four children next enter Narnia, and the adventure begins when they find out Mr. Tumnus has been taken captive by the White Witch for befriending Lucy.ï¿½ The children decide to stay in Narnia until they rescue the faun.ï¿½ A remnant of Aslan's people hiding in the caves and deep woods are delighted at finding the children and the expectation of the witch's overthrow.ï¿½ They protect the children and lead them towards Cair Paravel to meet Aslan, who is rumored to be on the march towards Narnia.

Meanwhile, Edmund, who has not told the others of his meeting with the witch, escapes and finds his way to the White Witch's castle.ï¿½ He is not greeted warmly, as he expected, and is given stale bread instead of Turkish Delight.ï¿½ The witch is furious with Edmund at not having brought his siblings to her and is exasperated at hearing the news of Aslan's return. Peter, Susan and Lucy have many adventures on their way to Cair Paravel, including meeting talking animals and narrowly escaping the witch's polite wolves.ï¿½ As they approach the capital they notice that Aslan's return is causing the snow to melt and the flowers to blossomï¿½spring has returned to Narnia. The White Witch drives her reindeer towards the three children to catch them before they meet Aslan, but she discovers her way hindered when the sledge runners stick in the mud from the melting snow.ï¿½ Edmund is put under the whip and kept hungry. He begins to deeply regret his desire for power over his siblings and realizes he will be lucky to get away from the witch alive.

The three children finally meet up with Aslan, the great golden lion, and are filled with joy and expectation.ï¿½ Aslan gathers his faithful from hiding where they have awaited his return.ï¿½ He then has a confrontation with the White Witch.ï¿½ She claims she has the right to take Edmund's life, since by law death is a traitor's sentence.ï¿½ The reunited four children despair as Aslan quietly talks with the witch.ï¿½ She leaves triumphant while Aslan's countenance is sad. Later that night Aslan sneaks off (with Susan and Lucy following at a distance and watching) and turns himself over to the White Witch and her nasty crew of followers.ï¿½ He permits himself to be humiliated, beaten, and then killed with a stone knife put through his heart while tied to a stone table.ï¿½ Finally, the witch and her crew leave to find and slaughter the army of Aslan's followers.

Susna and Lucy come out of hiding and weep by Aslan's body.ï¿½ As the moring light appears they look up to see a broken stone table and a triumph and alive Aslan.ï¿½ He greets the children joyfully and explains that although the witch knew the law, she did not know the deeper magic, which allowed a willing victim to die in a traitor's stead, causing the stone table to break and reversing death itself. Aslan goes to the witch's castle and restores (by breathing on them) all the animals she had turned into stone with her magic wand.ï¿½ The witch is then defeated in battle, and the children, who fought courageously, are set up on the four thrones of Cair Paravel where they rule for many long years. One day while the children, who are now grown, are out hunting a white stag, they discover the door to the wardrobe and after passing through it are back in the professor's home.ï¿½ To their astonishment, no time has passed and they are again four young children at play.

Allegory One may find many directions, besides those addressed in this paper, in which to take the symbols and allegory of Lewis' fairy tale.ï¿½ For example, the development of each child's personality could demonstrate the qualities of good and evil and Christ's as well as our response to those qualities.ï¿½ Plato could also be discussed in connection to what is reality and unreality.ï¿½ The real world of Narnia is challenged at the start of the story when only Lucy enters Narnia and the other children, concerned for her stories of another world, take their concerns to the professor.ï¿½ The professor causes the children to question their underlying belief in the reality of only one world.ï¿½ Paul Ford, author of the Companion to Narnia, feels that "not only is this method of examining one's fundamental assumptions recognizably Socratic, but an important Platonic theme is touched upon here which Lewis develops throughout the remaining books" (221).ï¿½ Many other implications, such as those mentioned above, could be raised from reading Lewis' work, but the focus in this paper will be almost exclusively on the allegory which relates to the salvation story. M. H.

Abrams defines allegory as a narrative in which the agents and action, and sometimes the setting as well, are contrived so as to make coherent sense on the "literal," or primary, level of signification, and also to signify a second, correlated order of agents, concepts, and events. (4) Abrams clarifies his definition by drawing a difference between using allegory to represent historical or political personages and the allegory of ideas, which has a plot incorporating a doctrine or thesis, and literal characters representing abstract concepts (5). Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels is an example of political allegory.ï¿½ He uses specific characters and places in his work to represent particular people and places in the political realm of his day (Flimnap, the Treasurer, represents Sir Robert Walpole, the Whig head of government; Skyresh Bolgolam represents the Earl of Nottingham, an enemy of Swift; Blefuscu represents France, and so forth).ï¿½ He also provides a delightful narrative for children that has been adopted for television.

John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress provides an excellent example of abstract allegory.ï¿½ The narrative can be read purely for the story's pleasure or by relating the characters in their allegorical sense to their names (Christian represents a Christian person, Mr. Worldly-Wiseman represents a man who is wise to the ways of the world, and so forth). The beast fable, which includes talking animals representing human types, is one of many different literary genres representing a special type of allegory "in that they all narrate, though in varied forms, one coherent set of circumstances which signify a second order correlated meanings" (Abrams 6).ï¿½ Fables, folktales and fairy tales are among others that can fall into the special type of allegory should the author write with this intention.

It is precisely this written "intention" that Lewis lacked in his writing of any of the Narnian Chronicles.ï¿½ Lewis denied that his works were allegory (Lewis, On Stories 46, 53).ï¿½ In terms of a narrative like The Pilgrim's Progress where every character symbolizes a Christian or non-Christian trait, his works are not allegorical.ï¿½ But if one considers Abram's definition which embraces different literary genres, then Lewis has indeed written a narrative that is good story telling on a primary level and also where a "correlated order of agents, concepts, and events" (4) is viable on a secondary level. Madeleine L'Engle, an author shedding some light on the thoughts of a fellow author of fiction, says she "understand[s] Lewis' protestations that he is not writing allegory; of course he isn't.ï¿½ Nevertheless, there is an allegorical level to his stories . . . .

the writer cannot strive for it deliberately for that would be to ensure failure" (xiv).ï¿½ She says it does not bother her that Lewis did not feel he allegorized at all in the Chronicles of Narnia.ï¿½ L'Engle feels that all kinds of things happen when a writer opens up to a fantasy world that is often more real than the daily world and that Lewis listened well and set down what he saw and heard (xv).ï¿½ In the Christian sense, she considered, "If grace comes during the writing of fantasy, the writer writes beyond himself, and may not discover all that he has written until long after it is published, if at all" (xv). Even though Lewis did not write his stories to be allegorical, his Narnian Chronicles fit Abram's definition of allegory. Many readers feel as Madeleine L'Engle, that God must have tremendously blessed Lewis in the production of his book.ï¿½ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is so perfectly symbolic of the story of salvation, it could not be an accident that it came out as it did.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: General allegory Lewis' delightful narrative fulfills Abram's literal or primary level by making coherent sense without the allegorical application.ï¿½ It can be enjoyed by children or adults purely for its good story telling, although an adult will be more apt to apply the symbolism.ï¿½ There are many ways in which to focus on the second or allegorical level of ideas.ï¿½ How the plot exemplifies the doctrine of salvation would be the major application used in a Biblical literature class. [1] The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe does not give any background as to how evil entered the world (Lewis addresses that in another book); instead, the Narnia to which the reader is introduced is already enveloped in the grasp of the evil snow-covered Narnian world that is "always winter and never Christmas" (16).ï¿½ It seems quite a wonderful world when Lucy, the first of the Pevensie children to enter Narnia through the Wardrobe, meets Mr. Tummus, the enchanting faun who takes Lucy home for tea.ï¿½ Lucy believes the stories Mr.

Tummus tells her about the White Witch's evil spell over the land and some of the animals and how four humans sitting on the thrones in Cair Paravel can break the spell. Later, Edmund enters Narnia and meets the White Witch.ï¿½ When he sells his soul for some Turkish Delight, Lewis has set the groundwork for his narrative. Here is a world enveloped in evil; humans enter the scene: one standing on the side of good and the other on the side of evil.ï¿½ At this point the Christian allegory begins to develop.ï¿½ Both our world and Narnia are enveloped in sin, but in Narnia Lucy is always willing to believe and takes steps of faith before the other children.ï¿½ We see Lucy, as perhaps a character type, or perhaps the side of us that Jesus comments on when He says "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26.41).ï¿½ Her spirit is always willing, but she is also chided by Aslan for disobedience (176-177).

Along comes Edmund, another character type or possibly the flesh, giving in to those seemingly tasteful moments of pleasure.ï¿½ He later learns what it is to be fully in the grasp of sin: there is no more Turkish Delight and the White Witch makes him totally subservient.ï¿½ How like sin!ï¿½ It is so delightful to look at and taste, but once within its evil grasp, the shackles start forming and we find ourselves in where we cannot possibly get out.ï¿½ Lewis' Turkish Delight here could have an obvious direct correlation to drugs or any addictive substance such as opium, heroin, nicotine, or alcohol.ï¿½ But it could also be sin called by any name (as in thievery, drunkenness, adultery, and covetousness 1 Cor 6.9-10) and which is addictive in just the same way as drugs. Peter and Susan enter Narnia and the drama continues as the group splits up: three children heading off with Mr. and Mrs.

Beaver to find Aslan, and Edmund going in search once again for the White Witch and her Turkish Delight.ï¿½ Here we find many lessons about sin: Edmund does not see the White Witch for her evil because of the Turkish Delight; he is not even able to rationally listen to others speak of her evil because she has blinded him; and, he eventually is even willing to do harm to his brother and sisters for his habit and his quest for power.ï¿½ Lewis easily points out the sinful nature of man through Edmund and his childish desires.

Aslan comes and saves the world from the White Witch, just as Jesus comes and saves this world from sin.ï¿½ Both die for the sinner: Aslan for Edmund and Jesus for mankind.ï¿½ In both stories, the Law had been written from before the Dawn of Time that any traitors or sinners had to die for their sins.ï¿½ In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch makes a bargain with Aslan, his life in exchange for Edmund's life, just as in the gospel story Jesus takes the place of fallen humanity.ï¿½ The witch thinks she will rule the world if she can kill Aslan, and Satan worked all his wiles to put Jesus to death thinking the world would be his once the son of God was dead.

Neither knows the complete power of God.ï¿½ The Deeper magic, as Aslan called it, from before the Dawn of Time, is unknown to the White Witch.ï¿½ The Deeper magic says that when a willing victim gives its life for another, the spell will be broken.ï¿½ Aslan, in a parallel with Jesus, has the power within himself to be resurrected.ï¿½ The two Mary's are the first to see the resurrected Jesus, and Susan and Lucy are the first to see the resurrected Aslan.

Aslan's first job is to return life to all the good Narnian creatures the White Witch has turned to stone with her magic wand.ï¿½ He breathes on each one and life returns to their souls.ï¿½ Jesus' gift in the resurrection is to give the Holy Spirit to His followers which He does by breathing on them (John 20.22).ï¿½ Aslan and the good army then conquer the White Witch and set the children up to rule on the four thrones of Cair Paravel until he comes again.ï¿½ Jesus set up his kingdom of priests on earth (Rev 5.10), His children (Matt 18.3), and promises his people he will come again (Acts 1.9-11; John 21.23). The general allegory tells the story of salvation found in the gospels.ï¿½ As Richard Cunningham expresses, He [Lewis] touches the nerve of religious awe on every page.ï¿½ He evangelizes through imagination. . . .

The fairy tale can help to set before the imagination something that baffles the intellect.ï¿½ And then, having returned from fairyland to the blind glare of our own world, perhapsï¿½just perhapsï¿½one will see more clearly the deeper dimensions of life. (155-156).

So Lewis, in his Narnian Chronicles, of which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first, through kindling of the imagination, brings his readers to God (156).ï¿½ Lewis alludes to the identity of Aslan as Christ when in another of the Narnian Chronicles, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he tells Lucy and Edmund they will not return to Narnia: ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "Dearest," Said Aslan very gently, "you and your brother will never come back to Narnia." ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "Oh, Aslan!" said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "You are too old, children," said Aslan, "and you must begin to come close to your own world now." ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy.ï¿½ "It's you.ï¿½ We shan't meet you there.ï¿½ And how can we live, never meeting you?" ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "Areï¿½are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ "I am," said Aslan, "But here I have another name.ï¿½ You must learn to know me by that name.ï¿½ This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." Lewis' illustrations to the gospel story are obvious, and as he demonstrates in the dialogue above, he all but comes out and tells his readers Aslan's true identity.ï¿½ This is not the abstract allegory found in Pilgrim's Progress.ï¿½ It is rather the allegory of the beast fable, the folktale and the fairy tale, narrating a coherent set of circumstances on one level and representing a second order of correlated meanings. A Window Lewis' fairy tale contains allusions to many books of scripture.ï¿½ Paul Ford in his Companion to Narnia suggests allusions to Old Testament scripture such as Isaiah 65.16 where God promises through his prophet that the former troubles will be forgotten.

Lewis draws a parallel in his text by presenting the repentant Edmund to his siblings and admonishing them with, "There is no need to talk to him about what is past" (136).ï¿½ Ford also suggests allusions to other New Testament books besides the gospels such as Hebrews 12.2, "fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..;" and compares the verse with Edmund's forgetting about himself when he sees Aslan (even while he is being accused by the witch for treachery): "He just went on looking at Aslan.ï¿½ It didn't seem to matter what the Witch said" (138).ï¿½ Even though the fairy tale has allusions to many books of scripture, it dwells mainly on the death and resurrection of Aslan and therefore can be used most easily as an introduction to the book of John.

Emphasis is placed on this particular gospel simply because it begins by acknowledging the deity of Christ, something Lewis also addresses in his work.ï¿½ The other gospel begin with genealogies which do not provide any parallels for classroom use.ï¿½ John is the only gospel where students can begin their correlations with the first chapter.ï¿½ After beginning with the introduction to John, students can progress through the rest of the book and finally concentrate on the crucifixion and resurrection scenes where they will find the majority of the parallels. Students will probably be excited about finding parallel in a specific book of the Bible.ï¿½ But the teacher should first introduce them to the idea that the gospel of John opens with an encomium, a formal expression of high praise, in this case praise of Jesus Christ, and should be written in poetry form to highlight the patterns of repetition (Ryken 300). A handout of John 1.1-18 typed on one page in poetry form, using eight stanzas, would serve as an introduction to the literary component of John as well as begin the correlation with Lewis' allegory (300-3).

It would also be a good idea to remind the class that they are not looking for abstract allegory as found in Pilgrim's Progress, but as Paul Ford suggests, parallels that are actually closer to biblical allusions, "indirect hints of actual biblical phraseology or suggestions of biblical themes or scenes" (52).

Then by using Ryken's poetical reading for John 1.1-18, the teacher can begin pointing out parallels to the class as a whole.ï¿½ The first stanza (verses 1-2) reads: ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ In the beginning was the Word, ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ He was in the beginning with God.

Although The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe does not present Aslan as creator (Lewis alludes to that in another book, The Magician's Nephew), he does refer to him as "the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. . . .Aslan is a lion-the Lion, the great Lion" (75).ï¿½ John 1.1-2 praises the ancient ancestry of its subject (Ryken 300), Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Son of God the Father, and Lewis offers his comparisons with Aslan, "the great lion" son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. The third stanza (4-5) praises Christ's life-giving quality and relates just as well to Aslan who gave life to Edmund and brought spring to Narnia.ï¿½ Neither Satan in our world or the White Witch in Narnia could overcome the light that Jesus and Aslan brought to their respective worlds: ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The light shines in the darkness, ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ and the darkness has not overcome it. John's gospel is known primarily for its symbols of light and darkness and in this passage the author sets light and darkness in conflict.ï¿½ Lewis also sets light and darkness in conflict by comparing the warm golden colors of Aslan to the bloodless White witch, and the barren snow-covered Narnian world, which is melted gradually and replaced with vegetation as Aslan approaches the land. After one or two parallels such as the above, students could work in small groups to find the rest of the parallels in John 1.ï¿½ When John 1 has been exhausted, the body of the gospel could be addressed excluding the crucifixion and resurrection.

Direct parallels can be found in the body of John.ï¿½ An obvious parallel is Jesus' feeding the multitude with five barley loaves and two small fish (John 6.1-14).ï¿½ Lewis' alludes to the story when Aslan feeds the army after winning the battle with the witch, "How Aslan provided food for them all I don't know; but somehow or other they found themselves all sitting down on the grass to a fine high tea at about eight o'clock" (178). Another obvious comparison is found in Jesus' statement in John 10.16 that He has other sheep that must also hear his voice.ï¿½ Lewis' version finds Aslan having "other countries to attend to" (180).ï¿½ Students should be limited to working with John 2 through 17 for parallel in the body of the gospel.

Although parallel exist within the introduction and body of John's book, the majority of the allusions (and the most class time spent) will embrace the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and the death and resurrection of Aslan.ï¿½ John 18 is the beginning point for the crucifixion scenes found in the gospel.ï¿½ The scenes in both books begin at night.ï¿½ When the Roman battalion with "lanterns and torches and weapons," initially approaches Jesus, they draw back and fall to the ground (John 18.3-6).ï¿½ When Aslan approaches the Stone Table, monstrous-looking creatures such as Ogres, Hags and Horrors stand around carrying "torches which burned with evil-looking red flames and black smoke" (148).ï¿½ At the first sight of Aslan, "A howl and a gibber of dismay went up from the creatures" and "for a moment the Witch herself seemed to be struck with fear" (149).ï¿½ The captors in both books quickly recover and bind their prey (John 18.12 and LWW 149) while disciples in both books think their King will exert His

 power (John.

10 and LWW 149).ï¿½ Both are disappointed and confused (John 18.15-18, 25-27;ï¿½ LWW 150-151).

Step by step the two stories can be minutely paralleled through the death scenes.ï¿½ The resurrection scenes are just as close.ï¿½ Both scenes occur at sunrise.ï¿½ Jesus' first resurrected appearance is to Mary as she is weeping by the tomb (John 20.11-17) and Aslan's first appearance is to Susan and Lucy as they are weeping by the Stone Table (154-159).ï¿½ Another gospel (Matt 28.1) where there are two Marys found at the tomb could be mentioned to account for the difference between their being two children and one Mary in the gospel of John.ï¿½ Later, Jesus breathes on the disciples saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20.22) and Aslan breathes on the animals the Witch turned into stone and they all come to life (164-166).ï¿½ These are just a few of the allusions teachers can start students on in their groups and then let them find the remainder.

Without realizing it, students have made the transfer from a fairy tale into the most profound truths of the gospel.ï¿½ In an exciting moment of correlation they have seen Jesus through the form of Aslan.ï¿½ They have seen Him as the supreme acknowledged Son of God come to this world to save those who accept the light shining in the darkness (John 1).ï¿½ They have seen Him as the light triumphant, beaten in both stories and killed in both stories for each disobedient "Edmund," each son of Adam and daughter of Eve.ï¿½ They have seen Christ through Aslan win the battle over death through resurrection.ï¿½ He can breathe the Holy Spirit into their hearts of stone, turn their hearts into flesh and give them a life of fullness in Him. Conclusion So, I return to my original questions in the introduction of this paper, "Why would a Christian college student be reading fairy tales for homework?ï¿½ Or better yet, why would a Christian English teacher be using fairy tales in a college class on Biblical Literature?"ï¿½ I believe the answer is found by considering allegory, which leads the reader into the book of John.ï¿½ Such allegory is found in C. S.

Lewis' book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. By approaching John's gospel in this delightfully unique manner, a teacher finds a way to, as C. S. Lewis said, "steal past those watchful dragons" guarding our students against what John so wanted them to know: God eternal in us.ï¿½ After all, what lies beneath the totality of Christian education is the hope that something we say or do in the classroom will lead our students to sit at the feet of the great Teacher, Jesus Christ, or, as seen through a glass darkly, the great Lion King, Aslan. WORKES CITED Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms.ï¿½ 5th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. Christopher, Joe R.ï¿½ C. S. Lewis.ï¿½ Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987. Cunningham, Richard B. C. S. Lewis: Defender of the Faith.ï¿½ Philadelphia: the Westminster Press, ND.

Ford, Paul.ï¿½ Companion to Narnia.ï¿½ San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1980. Kermode, Frank.ï¿½ "John."ï¿½ The Literary Guide to the Bible.ï¿½ Eds.ï¿½ Robert Alter and Frank Kermode.ï¿½ Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 1987, 440-465. L'Engle, Madeleine.ï¿½ Foreword. Comparison to Narnia.ï¿½ By Paul Ford. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1980, xiii-xvi. Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.ï¿½ New York: Macmillan, 1950. ___________.ï¿½ On Stories and Other Essays on Literature.ï¿½ Ed. Walter Hooper.ï¿½ San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. ___________.ï¿½ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Lois, Kenneth R. R. Gros.ï¿½ "The Jesus Birth Stories." Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives.

2 vols.ï¿½ Ed. Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis.ï¿½ Nashville: Abingdon, 1982, 273-284. Resseguie, James L.ï¿½ "John 9: A Literary-Critical Analysis."ï¿½ Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives.ï¿½ 2 vols.ï¿½ Ed. Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis.ï¿½ Nashville: Abingdon, 1982, 295-303. Ryken, Leland.ï¿½ Words of Delight.ï¿½ Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987. Zodhiates, Spiros, ed.ï¿½ The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible: New American Standard. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1990.

[1] Before applying the allegory, it would be profitable for students to have already gained an understanding of allegory by definition and to have read Lewis' work.ï¿½ A teacher would then feel comfortable involving students in a collaborative effort, first by example and then on their own, to search and find any general allegorical components obvious to them.ï¿½ The rest can be pointed out by the teacher. 1000+ images about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Pinterest | The witch, The lion and Narnia Learn more at etsy.com Sound of His Roar Narnia Print, Aslan CS Lewis Quote, Lion Roar, Narnia Art, Motivational, Inspirational, Christian Art, Nursery Art ...When he bares his teeth, winter meets it's death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again. More SparkNotes: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: Important Quotations Explained Important Quotations Explained The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe C. S. Lewis Key Facts "The White Witch?" said Edmund; "who's she?" "She is a perfectly terrible person," said Lucy.

"She calls herself the Queen of Narnia thought she has no right to be queen at all, and all the Fauns and Dryands and Naiads and Dwarfs and Animals—at least all the good ones—simply hate her. And she can turn people into stone and do all kinds of horrible things. And she has made a magic so that it is always winter in Narnia—always winter, but it never gets to Christmas. And she drives about on a sledge, drawn by reindeer, with her wand in her hand and a crown on her head." Edmund was already feeling uncomfortable from having eaten too many sweets, and when he heard that the Lady he had made friends with was a dangerous witch he felt even more uncomfortable. But he still wanted to taste that Turkish Delight more than he wanted anything else. This quotation comes at the end of Chapter 4, during Edmund's first visit to Narnia. Edmund finally finds Lucy after first encountering the Witch and eating Turkish Delight. This passage represents the moment when Edmund chooses the Witch's side, instead of the good side.

Throughout the rest of the book, Edmund tries to rationalize his belief in the Witch, he deceives himself and ignores all the stories that portray the Witch as evil. He thinks to himself that the Witch was kind to him, instead of trusting his siblings or Aslan This quotation shows that Edmund has full knowledge of the situation and exercises free will. Edmund does not suspect Lucy of lying to him and accepts what she tells him as the truth. Edmund thinks about his greed and then consciously rejects the idea that the Witch is a dangerous foe. This passage crystallizes the moment that Edmund willfully decides to side with the Witch, and shows that his later excuses are just that—excuses. And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken [his name] everyone felt quite different.... At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her.

And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer. This passage occurs in Chapter 7, and describes the first time that the children hear the name Aslan. The children's sudden strong reactions demonstrate the mystical power of Aslan. Aslan immediately becomes a mysterious, mystical entity. To Peter, Susan, and Lucy, Aslan feels comfortable and powerful, whereas Edmund grows uneasy at the mention of Aslan. The children have never actually met Aslan, yet they have powerful reactions, contributing to a theme of god-like mystique surrounding Aslan. The differing reactions of the children illustrate the idea of faith. The believers—those with faith—revere Aslan right away, while the skeptic, Edmund, distrusts him. This passage also reinforces the idea that faith is intensely personal. For example, the childrens' unique reactions to Aslan reflect their individual personalities. Edmund reacts with horror because Edmund sides with the White Witch, an enemy of Aslan. Peter feels brave and adventurous after he hears Aslan's name because Peter is a courageous person.

Susan has a sweet and gentle nature, and she reacts to Aslan's name as if it is a beautiful, sensual pleasure. Lucy—kind, honest and gay—feels the deep excitement and joy that only a child can understand. It is as if she just woke up on the first day of summer vacation, or Christmas morning, the two greatest pleasures for a child. The childrens' reactions also express the effect that faith in God, or Aslan, will have on each of them throughout the story. "Aslan?" said Mr. Beaver. "Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus." "Is—is he a man?" asked Lucy. "Aslan a man!" Mr. Beaver said sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea.

Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." This quotation comes near the beginning of Chapter 8 and it is our first real introduction to Aslan. According to the passage, Aslan is a type of god-like figure because of his longevity, immense power, and benevolence. Lewis deliberately keeps the parallel vague, contributing to Aslan's mystique. Lewis's vagueness allows us to form an opinion of Aslan before we see him as a Christian symbol. Lewis purposely wants to provide a different perspective to what many people during his time perceive as an aging faith. Aslan's actions and motivations are similar to those of Christ. Lewis wants us to realize that there is no harm in believing in Aslan, just as there is no harm in following Christ.

The physical form of the lion does not matter. Lewis uses the form of the lion because of a child's vision of the lion as scary and ferocious. By making Aslan a gentle, courageous lion, Lewis alters the child's stereotype of a lion. Simlarly, Lewis seeks to alter our stereotypes about Jesus Christ and can understand Him on a more tangible level. Mrs. Beaver's comment demonstrates that while we should not be afraid of Aslan, we should still revere and respect him. Jesus, explains Lewis, is someone to awe, but also someone to trust. "Have you forgotten the Deep Magic?" asked the Witch. "Let us say I have forgotten it," answered Aslan gravely. "Tell us of this Deep Magic." "Tell you?" said the Witch, her voice growing suddenly shriller. "Tell you what is written on that very Table of Stone which stands beside us? Tell you what is written in letters deep as a spear is long on the fire-stones on the Secret Hill? Tell you what is engraved on the scepter of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea? You at least know the Magic which the Emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning.

You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill.... And so that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property... unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." "It is very true," said Aslan, "I do not deny it." This quotation appears near the end of Chapter 13. The passage demonstrates that the gods of Narnia do not forgive sins, and every traitor's life is forfeit the Witch. In Narnia, there is no question of whether people believe or do not believe in this rule. They do not question the existence of a higher being or a belief in a rule that requires a life to be forfeit. Lewis illustrates the rigidity and immutability of the laws of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. The Emperor resembles the God described in the Old Testament. Lewis suggests that it is through Aslan's, or Jesus's, death that God becomes merciful. At that moment they heard from behind them a loud noise—a great cracking, deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giant's plate....

The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end; and there was no Aslan. "Who's done it?" cried Susan. "What does it mean? Is it more magic?" "Yes!" said a great voice from behind their backs. "It is more magic." They looked round. There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself. "Oh, Aslan!" cried both the children, staring up at him, almost as much frightened as they were glad.... "But what does it all mean?" asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer. "It means," said Aslan, "that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation.

She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward." This scene, which occurs in Chapter 15, is possibly the most important in the book. Aslan's resurrection is the backbone both of the literal plot of the novel and the Christian allegory. The breaking of the Stone Table signifies the shattering of old, severe traditions. A new age dawns as literally the sun rises in the book. Lewis consistently refers to spiritual and mystical experiences as magic. Using the idea of magic, Lewis couches the story of Christ in terms that children can easily grasp, and he makes the story more vibrant and accessible. Although the old magic, or traditional religion, of Narnia is Deep Magic, deeper still is the magic that Aslan uses when he sacrifices himself. Aslan does not defy the Emperor's magic. Instead, Aslan follows the tradition and submits himself to the Witch. Aslan's resurrection does not occur because he helps redeem Edmund or Narnia, but because he obeys the Emperor's rules. Aslan follows the old tradition, and is therefore able to then reform the traditions and save Narnia.

More Help The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis on iBooks This book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device, and with iTunes on your computer. Books can be read with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device. Description Illustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a full-color ebook device, and in rich black and white on all other devices. Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set free Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years.

This is a stand-alone read, but if you would like to explore more of the Narnian realm, pick up The Horse and His Boy, the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia. Supports the Common Core State Standards. Customer Reviews by browneyes01 This book is a wonderful mixture of reality and imagination, the whole feeling as you're reading it is like magic. The four Pevensies are very believable characters, and the creatures they meet in Narnia are both interesting and very creative on the part of the author. Read this book! #1 the Bible #2 This Book by FanofTheU the only book i like more is the Bible i would buy it but it is too much money and i have the real book Perfect!!!!! by The terminator 1 I have always loved the movies and I just finished reading the book and its even better!!!! Other Books in This Series 3. Level: Grades 3 and Above Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.

Language: English Series: Book 2, The Chronicles of Narnia Requirements: To view this book, you must have an iOS device with iBooks 1.3.1 or later and iOS 4.3.3 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 or later. Customer Ratings

Question: What is the name of the lion in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe?
Answer: Aslan